At the moment the 342-seat National Assembly has 73 female members, out of whom 60 have been inducted through a complex system of proportional representation, 12 on general seats and 18 are elected to the Senate (the Upper House).
Ministry of Women’s Development (MoWD) is planning to hold a two-day national convention on ‘Role of women in politics’ after the general elections to increase women participation in the political system of the country.
The much bruited ‘deal’ between Pakistan’s twice-elected, twice-deposed former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has cast a shadow over her triumphal homecoming on Thursday, after nine long years of self-imposed exile.
Bhutto, 54, a former two-time premier, has always said that a crowd is the best cushion for a leader.
Non-Muslim destitute women are the most oppressed citizens in Pakistan, said Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) director IA Rehman while chairing a meeting with women politicians on Wednesday.
Women's wings of political parties are contributing less to the present election campaign than they did to previous ones.
Just days before parliamentary polls in Pakistan, leading Prime Ministerial contender and anti terrorism crusader Benazir Bhutto was shot dead during an election rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad. "She has been martyred," said party official Rehman Malik.
The need for a clear policy and legislation to address women issues was stressed in a meeting of the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Alliance on Monday. EVAW is a group of NGOs working for women’s empowerment.